California Insurance Finder
Looking for Insurance?
About Us
Don Ariosto Insurance Services is a business-to-consumer insurance agency that delivers Web-based, insurance information to individuals, families and small businesses who are in need of insurance information. Don Ariosto Insurance Services integrated suite of online services facilitates a comprehensive search and review of leading insurance companies.
Don Ariosto Insurance Services is not owned by any insurance company, therefore we provide objective information to consumers and small business owners, helping them make informed decisions about their insurance needs. Our service is available to all California residents.
Buyers Guide For California Health Insurance
If you have ever been sick or injured, you know how important it is to have health coverage. But if you’re confused about what kind is best for you, you’re not alone.
Making Sense of California Health Insurance
The term California Health Insurance refers to a wide variety of insurance policies. These range from policies that cover the costs of doctors and hospitals to those that meet a specific need, such as paying for long-term care. Even disability insurance—which replaces lost income if you can’t work because of illness or accident—is considered California Health Insurance, even though it’s not specifically for medical expenses.
But when people talk about California Health Insurance, they usually mean the kind of insurance offered by employers to employees, the kind that covers medical bills, surgery, and hospital expenses. You may have heard this kind of California Health Insurance referred to as comprehensive or major medical policies, alluding to the broad protection they offer. But the fact is, neither of these terms is particularly helpful to the consumer.
Today, when people talk about broad health care coverage, instead of using the term “major medical,” they are more likely to refer to fee-for-service or managed care. These terms apply to different kinds of coverage or health plans. Moreover, you’ll also hear about specific kinds of managed care plans: health maintenance organizations or HMOs, preferred provider organizations or PPOs, and point-of-service or POS plans.
While fee-for-service and managed care plans differ in important ways, in some ways they are similar. Both cover an array of medical, surgical, and hospital expenses. Most offer some coverage for prescription drugs, and some include coverage for dentists and other providers. But there are many important differences that will make one or the other form of coverage the right one for you.
How Do I Get Health Coverage?
California Health Insurance is generally available through groups and to individuals. Premiums—the regular fees that you pay for California Health Insurance coverage—are generally lower for group coverage. When you receive group insurance at work, the premium usually is paid through your employer.
Group insurance is typically offered through employers, although unions, professional associations, and other organizations also offer it. As an employee benefit, group California Health Insurance has many advantages. Much—although not all—of the cost may be borne by the employer. Premium costs are frequently lower because economies of scale in large groups make administration less expensive. With group insurance, if you enroll when you first become eligible for coverage, you generally will not be asked for evidence that you are insurable. (Enrollment usually occurs when you first take a job, and/or during a specified period each year, which is called open enrollment.) Some employers offer employees a choice of fee-for-service and managed care plans. In addition, some group plans offer dental insurance as well as medical.
Individual insurance is a good option if you work for a small company that does not offer California Health Insurance or if you are self-employed. Buying individual insurance allows you to tailor a plan to fit your needs from the insurance company of your choice. It requires careful shopping, because coverage and costs vary from company to company. In evaluating policies, consider what medical services are covered, what benefits are paid, and how much you must pay in deductibles and coinsurance. You may keep premiums down by accepting a higher deductible.
Recent Posts
Best agent in Cooper City
https://www.statefarm.com/agent/US/FL/Cooper-City/Frank-Walker-RFDSW1YS000 Income Security is just one of lots of preferred kinds of insurance which is available today. Taking insurance coverage out has actually ended up being an everyday point to do since we...
Subscribe to our mailing list and be up to date with the latest news and information
A Final Word
If you get health care coverage at work, or through a trade or professional association or a union, you are almost certainly enrolled under a group contract. Generally, the contract is between the group and the insurer, and your employer has done comparison shopping before offering the plan to the employees. Nevertheless, while some employers only offer one plan, some offer more than one. Compare plans carefully!
If you are buying individual insurance, or any form of insurance that you purchase directly, read and compare the policies you are considering before you buy one, and make sure you understand all of the provisions. Marketing or sales literature is no substitute for the actual policy. Read the policy itself before you buy.
It is also a good idea to ask for the insurance company’s rating. The A.M. Best Company, Standard & Poor’s Corporation, and Moody’s all rate insurance companies after analyzing their financial records. These publications that list ratings usually can be found in the business section of libraries.
And bear in mind: In some cases, even after you buy a policy, if you find that it doesn’t meet your needs, you may have 30 days to return the policy and get your money back. This is called the “free look.”
